Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), has called for robust regional collaboration to enhance connectivity between coastal ports and landlocked nations in West and Central Africa.
Speaking at the 44th Annual Council and 19th Roundtable of Directors General of the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA) in Conakry, Guinea, Dr. Dantsoho emphasised the urgent need for infrastructural and technological development to ensure seamless service provision to landlocked states, reducing costs and fostering economic growth.
With 16 of the world’s 44 landlocked countries situated in Africa, Dantsoho underscored the moral obligation of coastal nations to provide access to the sea for these states. He outlined strategies to overcome logistical and infrastructural challenges, which often hinder the smooth movement of goods to and from landlocked regions.
“The question posed by emerging trends is how to service the hinterland efficiently and collaboratively without unhealthy competition, while building shared capacity among coastal states,” he noted.
Dantsoho advocated for the completion of critical international highway and rail projects, including the Niger-Lagos-Tema-Abidjan corridor, to link coastal and hinterland states. He highlighted this as a vital step in creating a more interconnected and competitive sub-region.
He proposed several actionable measures to address these challenges. These include completing highways and rail routes linking coastal and hinterland areas, such as the ECOWAS-backed Abidjan-Lagos Highway, which connects some of the region’s most dynamic economic hubs; leveraging technology to improve cargo handling, transit, and service delivery, particularly in areas requiring multiple transit modes; aligning policies and procedures to facilitate the smooth movement of goods, improve transshipment logistics, and ensure regulatory consistency across the region and strengthening joint efforts for safety, environmental protection, and emergency response planning. He also advocated sharing best practices in terminal operations, capacity utilisation, and logistics to improve efficiency and competitiveness.
The NPA Managing Director stressed that the benefits of such collaboration include increased efficiency, reduced costs, enhanced customer satisfaction, and improved utilisation of resources.
Dantsoho concluded by stressing the interdependence between maritime shipping and the hinterland. He called for a comprehensive approach that combines infrastructure development, technological advancement, and diplomatic cooperation to optimise hinterland connectivity.
“Ensuring the full optimisation of hinterland connectivity requires a diverse approach. PMAWCA is well-positioned to lead this charge, fostering regional integration for the benefit of all stakeholders,” he affirmed.
As West and Central Africa continue to grapple with the challenges of hinterland connectivity, the proposed measures, if implemented, could serve as a blueprint for transforming the region’s maritime and logistics landscape into a driver of inclusive economic growth.
Echoing Dantsoho’s sentiments, Mamadou Biro Diallo, Managing Director of the Port Autonome de Conakry, emphasised the pivotal role of ports in driving economic growth.
However, he noted that this growth must extend beyond the port interface into the hinterland through well-coordinated logistics and infrastructure.
“Optimising port-hinterland services requires an integrated vision of connectivity, fluidity, and reliability. Collaboration between public and private players, sustainable infrastructure investment, and adoption of new technologies are critical to achieving this goal,” Diallo stated.
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